So you have an artistic eye. You see the world in ways that are unique, interesting, and different. You want to share this world view through your photography… but one of the greatest frustrations new photographers encounter is that when they get back to their computer and pull images off the camera, the results are nothing like the grand vision they experienced while shooting. Has this ever happened to you? I should emphasize that the tips I’ll share here are like a double edged sword: you can use them to more accurately portray your inner vision of a shot, or they can be used to accurately reproduce exactly what your eye physically observed. Frequently, these are definitely not the same thing.

1: Decide on a clear center of attention

What is it about what your eye sees that is so interesting? Is it a specific object? Is it the positioning of several elements in view? Is it the colors you see, or how they interact? You know what is interesting, so frame the shot to omit distractions and noise. Remember that someone who sees your picture later won’t know about anything that is not in the frame, so leave as much to their imagination as you can. For example, if you are taking a picture of a child running at a park, move yourself around so that you don’t also have a soccer game or playground competing for attention in the shot. Let the person viewing the shot imagine that the child is just running through an open field, making the imagery stronger.

2: Remember that your eye has a better dynamic range than your camera

Dynamic range has to do with how well you can see the extremes of lights and darks at the same time. The human eye is capable of very high dynamic range, allowing us to clearly see a very dark subject against a very bright background. Cameras, on the other hand, have a much lower dynamic range. This can make it nearly impossible to get your camera to capture what you see, because you simply see much better than your camera does. Here is an example of what I’m talking about.

Underexposed

Viola!

The image on the left has the ocean nicely exposed, but the subject is totally in silhouette. The image on the right was taken with nearly the same camera settings but I used my speedlight as a fill flash to get the subject’s face brighter – closer to the brightness of the ocean behind her. Remember when shooting that your camera will not be able to see both extremes of light and dark at the same time, so you may have to try to adjust the scene to either darken the lights or lighten the darks. Some techniques to lighten up darks are to use a fill flash as above, or a reflector (or large white poster board) to direct more light where you need it. To darken bright areas, you can use your reflector as a shade, move your subject to somewhere darker, etc. Just try to reduce a huge variance between the brightest and darkest portion of your images, favoring the portion of the image you want to properly expose. In other words, if you really want to get the darks of the image, darken the bright areas. If you really want to get the bright areas, add light where it is too dark.

3: Aperture control for DOF

Most photographers quickly figure out shutter speed and ISO, but fewer seem to grasp the power of the aperture settings on their camera. I could easily dedicate an entire post to the topic of aperture control, but for now I’ll sum it up like this: A wide aperture (small F number) will produce a very narrow depth of focus. A very small aperture (large F number) will produce a very deep depth of focus. What does this mean? This means that you can control how out of focus as well as how bright the non-subject portions of your shots are. Let me illustrate with an example:

On the left we have a wide aperture, on the right a much smaller one.

For these shots, I just grabbed a bottle of water and put it on my kitchen counter. Both used a bounced flash, but I had to tweak the power of the flash and the ISO to get the exposures similar (see the bit about the Exposure Triangle below). The shot on the left used an aperture of 1.8, the one on the right used an aperture of 11. Notice how the one on the left has such a shallow depth of field that even the label on the bottle is out of focus and beginning to darken because it is a few centimeters farther away than the front face of the bottle. If you really want to help bring your subject out of a background of chaos, use a wider aperture. If you want to get more elements of your shot in focus, with a more evenly distributed exposure, use a tighter aperture.

4: Careful composition to either expand upon or contract the feel of the photo

This technique will possibly have some of you shaking your heads in disgust, because I’m going to ask you to actually move your FEET while shooting. Many novice photographers rely far too heavily on the fact that their camera has a zoom, and sacrifice a whole range of composition possibilities because they refuse to move their feet to get closer to or farther away from their subject. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all in favor of using that fancy zoom you’ve got – but I want you to understand what it is doing. When you zoom in, you not only get the subject to appear larger, but you cut out much of the background that may possibly be part of what you wish to capture. Sometimes it is better to zoom farther out and move your feet closer to the subject. This will make your subject larger but capture more of the surroundings to better portray what your eye sees. The opposite is also true, of course. You can use your zoom to carefully decide what part of the background you want to have visible…Sometimes you’ll need to zoom in on the subject but move farther away from them to get the composition you want.

5: Be ready – moments come and go quickly

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been in a perfect position to capture a truly memorable image, but had my camera in my bag. Or turned off. Or on the wrong settings. Some shot opportunities only last a second or 2, and if you don’t have your camera in your hand, turned on, and set to reasonable settings you may miss it. When I’m shooting, I’ll frequently (as in a few times a minute) double check my camera settings. I’m constantly adjusting the exposure triangle to fit what I’m shooting so I can be ready when the opportunity arrives.

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6: Understand the exposure triangle

There is no shortage of great images explaining the exposure triangle on the interwebs. Here is a brief summary of the 3 parts of your camera’s exposure:ISO: This sets how “sensitive to light” your camera becomes. A higher ISO number means the camera will be more sensitive so you can use a faster shutter speed or smaller aperture, but will also be progressively more grainy with higher and higher numbers.Shutter Speed: This sets how long your shutter will stay open, letting light hit your sensor. Slower shutter speeds will produce motion blur if anything in your image is moving, but they let in much more light allowing for a lower ISO or tighter aperture. Faster shutter speeds can “stop time” and make even quickly moving objects appear to be frozen, but they let in much less light, so you’ll need to compensate with a larger aperture or a higher ISO.Aperture: The “aperture” of your lens is much like the iris of your eye – it can be opened very large to let in a lot of light, or it can be opened only a tiny bit to let in only a very little amount of light. As I discussed above, a wide aperture will produce a very shallow depth of field, while a smaller aperture will produce a much deeper field of focus.
It should be obvious that ISO, shutter speed, and aperture all affect each other. If you open your aperture, you’ll need to speed up your shutter or use a lower ISO. If you change your ISO, you’ll need to adjust either your shutter or aperture (or possibly both) to compensate to get the right exposure. Just as in the shots I took of the water bottle above, I had to make multiple adjustments to the other aspects of my exposure when I changed the aperture size between the 2 shots. Once you have mastered the exposure triangle, you can leverage the parts of the triangle to more accurately capture what you see.

7: P is not for “Professional”

So you went and spent a bunch of money on a really expensive camera – that will make your photos instantly professional looking, right? Well, I’m sorry to say it but no. An expensive camera in the hands of an amateur will still produce amateur shots. Most DSLRs I’ve seen in recent years come with a fully automatic setting, and several semi-automatic settings, as well as full manual. I’d recommend learning how to use your “Aperture Priority” as well as “Shutter Priority” settings, then move on to get comfortable in full manual. Learning how to use your camera’s full manual mode will provide you the power to capture what you see.

8: Pay attention to your light sources

When you take a picture, you are really just capturing light, so you need to be able to pay attention to all your light sources and understand how they will interact with the mechanics of your camera. The most common pitfall here is when shooting with the sun slightly in front of you but off to one side. In this situation, you can’t see the sun in your viewfinder, but if you move around in front of the camera, you’ll see that there is direct sunlight hitting the front element of your lens. As the sunlight hits the surface of the front element of your lens, some of the light is scattered back into the body of the lens and ultimately onto your camera’s image sensor. This will produce a “washed out” effect that is not really visible through the viewfinder when shooting, but will ruin your shot. However, there are much more subtle ways that light can do funky things with your equipment. On a recent shoot, we draped Christmas lights over a little girl and took a few shots of her looking all mischievous.

At first I thought the extra dots were the lights actually shining on the wall, etc. Then I realized I still had a polarizing filter on my lens from earlier in the day when we were outdoors in bright sunlight.The extra dots were actually a reflection of the Christmas lights off the front of the lens being reflected off the back of my filter, and even though the camera was picking them up well, they were so faint that I could not see them in the viewfinder. Removing the filter took care of the problem.

9: Always check your camera settings

I like to say that “leftover settings produce leftover shots”. I’ve had plenty of shots ruined because I pulled my camera out of my bag to start a shoot on a nice sunny day and forgot to check the settings, which were last used on a very dark, overcast day. I’ve had to learn the hard way to check my camera settings before I start shooting at each setting.

10: Practice!

We’ve all heard that practice makes perfect – but I prefer the adage that perfect practice makes perfect. Photography is an art form that requires a lot of mental thought be put into every shot – I’d recommend practicing each of the previous tips one at a time until they all become second nature and you can easily do them all at the same time. Then you’ll be armed with the tools you need to truly capture what you see.

Have you found this post to be useful? I’d love to hear your comments (good and bad!) so leave your thoughts below!

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Comments

section 3
“Notice how the one on the left has such a shallow depth of field that even the label on the bottle is out of focus and beginning to darken ”
Changing depth of field does not change exposure values – perhaps the difference in darkness is due to the changing balance of flash and ambient light

Love this. Sometimes when I’m photographing my baby girl I think my shots look great until I upload them in ACR and realize her eyes are blurry! It took a while to remember to up my ISO when I’m inside. The triangle is the key to amazing portraits.

Wonderful article! I really enjoy your articles and photography tips, especially with today’s technology. Remembering the basics is always needed. Thanks again for the time you put into helping others!

Changing the depth of field (the aperture) CERTAINLY changes the exposure. A wider aperture lets in more light and allows for a shorter shutter speed. To get the same exposure with a smaller aperture, you’d need to change the exposure to a higher setting to allow the same amount of light in.

I just got a Canon T1i and am very excited about it. To be honest I do not know much about how to use a camera so this helped me SOOO much. I am excited to learn how to fully use all the features that it offers me to take amazing photos. Thanks for writing this I have learned a lot and will continue to read your articles.

Just stumbled onto your site a few days ago. I am finding the articles very informative. I am a photographer-want-to-be who has so much to learn. Thank you for making this available. Now I need to get out there and take pictures!

I really like tip #10. I’ve only been taking pictures for a couple of years now. When I first started out, I did a 365 project. That was the best thing for me as a beginner. I learned so much that year by just doing. Looking back, I can see a big difference from day 1 to day 365.

I’m trying to incorporate more than shutter priority after moving away from varsity soccer on a weekly basis. Shooting nature (birds) seems to lead me there as well……time to spend “time” with AP, so your tips will be invaluable. Thanks

Thank you so much! I feel like most of the tips I read online are extremely obvious. These are more of the “I can’t figure out what I’m not doing right!” tips. They actually made me think, and I’m sure they will improve my photography a lot!

I absolutely loved your article! As an amateur, it is not easy to find articles about photography that are simple and straight forward, yet rich with information and easy to follow and pratical explanations! I hope you’ve written more articles! 🙂

Really enjoy your articles. plain, simple, and easy to understand. have had my Olympus E500 for a few years and i am finally learning what it can really do, its not top of the line but my photos are really getting better. thanks so much.

I am a beginning photographer and your sites are very useful for me. First of all I would like to highlight the practice, rehearse and shoot still camera settings and different views. Do not forget to always check the white and the photo that you also need a sense of depth they support shadows. I still struggle with it, and any advice is welcome. Thank you for your sites.

What a wonderful tips! I especially loved the reminder you gave us in #4: “Careful composition to either expand upon or contract the feel of the photo” It is so easy to rely on the zoom and get comfy in one place.
I would also like to learn more about lighting and fill flash. You seem to have the ability to explain things very clearly. I look forward to future tips!

Very clearly put for even a novice like myself to put to memory. I have been studying all I can for over a year and some photographers seem to over complicate simple explanations of how something works or happened in the camera. Thank you for helping me put it in simple terms I can remember when out shooting.
Sincerely Bob Gancio

For an amateur that gets very easily discouraged (I’m learning the drums as well), it was an article like this that really gave me an extra boost of confidence by proving to myself that if I think about it, I can do it. This was a great article. I look forward to them all. Best point in the article? “perfect practice makes perfect.”

I am currently taking an on-line photography class for the first time. The material is wonderful, but, it is quite helpful to read up on some of the primary factors of photography from other pros just to reiterate the information. I am enjoying your articles.
Thanks for sharing!

Just a note on “P isn’t for Professional”. It is a very useful mode on Nikons giving you complete control (except for ISO) with a single thumb wheel.

Although comfortable with manual exposure (it isn’t “full manual” because that includes manual focus and because you need to choose metering method) from 30 years with a film SLR I think it bad advise for digital camera users.

Sure, you should be able to use manual exposure for special situations that demand it but it is generally smarter to use the features you paid a lot of money for in your camera such as A, S, or P mode for exposure. You also need to pay attention to your metering method and area choice.

Thank Jim!! That was very imformative. As an aspiring photographer, it was very helpful! Photograhing can become frustrating when you don’t know what the thousand buttons on your camera mean! However, the fun part is taking your camera out for a “test drive”… after you’ve bought it, lol!

# 9 leftover settings, yes that got me good one time!! last year on a cancer walk a bright sunny day half way through the walk realized my color balance was set for flash ahhhhh def check ALL leftover settings.

Great article! I love reading your tips. I am doing a senior portrait shoot this afternoon at 4:30pm and this was a helpful reminder to check my settings – something that is a constant struggle for me!
Thanks again, and keep the articles coming!

I am an intermediate user and I am trying to learn all I can at this point as I will retire in less than two months. I just love taking lots of photos as I travel and at different family functions. I have a great compassion for cameras and use point and shoot, bridge SLR’s as well as DSLR’s as well.

My nine year old nephew has a passion for photography and I have given him point and shoots as well as a bridge camera and he is proving to be very good at the art. I want to be able to teach him all aspects of the camera controls so when we travel together he will be my personal assistant as he proved to be during a football game at his brothers football game. For me photos tell a story! Love a camera in front of my face!!! LOL

I loved your point #8 – reminded me what we photograph – ref: The Bridges Of Madison County , where Clint realizes midway thru the film, that all he does is photograph light. In my experience, the one film every photog should see…

Nice article Jim I like the idea of ‘perfect practice’ Tip number 5 is a good one… I like to set up one or two of my custom settings to help me be ready for different shots when I hike with my camera. For example C1 might be set to Al-Servo and High Speed Shutter for moving wildlife.

Wow, sure learned a great deal on this one. Boy am I new to all this fun stuff! Thank you much. I will continue to read and grow. Keep it coming? Great easy to digest articles chock full of “goodies.” I’m fool onto the next meal.LOL

Loved your comment on light. “When you take a picture, you are really just capturing light, so you need to be able to pay attention to all your light sources and understand how they will interact with the mechanics of your camera.”
Thanx for these wonderful tips. I am getting back into this after many years away from photography.

This is excellent and profound advice. Many thanks. Especially your point no. 1 (to decide on a clear centre of attention) seems to be so obvious that one easily tends to forget about it.
On my recent holiday in the Philippines, I have deliberately directed my learning curve on point no. 1 by attaching a small piece of masking tape to the back of my camera. It only says “Focus!” and it helped me to consciously compose my pictures and to identify what’s important to me, my centre of attention for this snap. The cerebral snapshot first and the digital snapshot second!

all I learned is how rude people are. they don’t even give the writer credit. Matt Hanehald was so rude and I hope you choose a safe path in life and stay in line and be a gentleman and don’t forget about God cause he loves you and I love you. don’t do the drugs -Chriss Allen Dessert

all I learned is how rude people are. they don’t even give the writer credit. Matt Hanehald was so rude and I hope you choose a safe path in life and stay in line and be a gentleman and don’t forget about God cause he loves you and I love you. don’t do the thugss -Chriss Allen Dessert

I’ve been practicing #1 & #2 quite a bit lately. I try to take hummingbird pictures making due with my 28-135mm lens which means my camera is set up approx 24 inches away from the feeder to help fill the frame as much as possible. This setup mixed with the available background light outdoors either early in the morning or late afternoon makes it tricky to balance available light, dof and acceptable noise. I need to use my speedlight to brighten the bird in the foreground and maintain a decent aperture for dof so the entire bird is in focus and try to keep the ISO low enough to prevent tons of noise.
Sometimes making due with what you have can be the best way to learn your camera and the basic principles such as those you’ve provided us here.
Thank you for the podcast and for the great articles!

Thankhu so much for these great advice … I m a beginner of photography .. Really I like to click every moment of my life .. Becoze the another day we can’t do this … Want to learn a professional photography ….

I find that hint 7 is about the best out there. When people ask me how to find a good wedding photographer, my first reaction is, “ask what they set their camera settings to.” If they say Auto, it’s time to find a different photographer. The best shots are only obtained by having a trained eye and controlling the lighting triangle.

Great tips and informative article. Your tips are very good and helpful. Whenever we are starting a photography, then we should first decide our subject or goal and know about our equipment. Working with light is a very good thing according to me in photography and when we take continually photographs then it will give good and different photos.

#6: ISO, Shutter, Aperture — I don’t know why I just can’t get this. I completely don’t understand it. It all seems to be saying the same thing…how much light or how little light in regards to the subject. I’ve read this a million times on all over the web, in my manual. I can’t seem to wrap my brain around it. I have a Nikon D5300 and I am totally frustrated!

The biggest thing I need to overcome and learn is the exposure triangle. I need to learn how to find a good balance between ISO, shutter speed, and the aperture. I always give it a try for a few pictures then get overwhelmed and switch it back to automatic. Your article was really helpful though! It made me feel more determined to figure it out!

What I like most about clicking Photographs is that it captures the precious moment impossible to recall. A Family Photograph displayed on wall is an option to relive the sizzling moments spent together.

I love taking pictures, whether of people or scenes. I’ll be sure to take your tips to heart so I can take better pictures. I’ll be sure to be ready to take advantage of the opportunities that are given. That way I can be sure to get amazing pictures that I could’ve missed. I’ll also make sure to practice as much as I can.

My son recently took a photography class and has told me a lot of things about getting a better photograph. I’ve heard of shutter speed for fast/slow shots, but I haven’t heard of ISO before. I had no idea that cameras could adjust their sensitivity to light. Thanks for the great tips on photography!

I am aspiring to be a photographer and so I am always practicing with my camera. However, I just found out about being able to switch my camera to manual and so I have been playing around with all of the settings. I’m definitely learning that every shot requires a different set of settings, but I am struggling to know which ISO setting I should be using every time. How do I know which ISO to use? I never had to deal with ISO when I shot my camera automatically.

Wonderful article! I really enjoy your articles and photography tips, especially with today’s technology. Remembering the basics is always needed. Thanks again for the time you put into helping others!

I’ve always wanted a family photo shoot, but I want to make sure that my pictures look professional. I liked your advice for aperture control when taking pictures. Practicing with this water bottle seems like a good idea. Perhaps I should do the same with objects in my house to get the right aperture by practicing before taking pictures of my family.

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